The Flowers in My Neighborhood

This morning was on and off rainy, but midafternoon it cleared a little, and I took a quick walk around my neighborhood, camera in hand. The weather may not have reached my ideal yet, but it is prime season for the flowering things, and I love it!

I know the names of very few of them, so basically what I'm saying here is, isn't this pretty? This flower on a tree?

Now this I know: tulips! So looking forward to tuliping tomorrow.

Another one I recognize: lilacs! I love them. Pretty and smells fantastic.

And then the two kinds of pink flowering trees, the ones I like but not as much:

They have the round blossoms.

And the other ones, that I like even more:

They bloom like this, more feathery:

I like it when I see them tucked in between houses.

This one is also pink, but a bush more than a tree.

The camera missed the tulip and focused behind it. Rats.

More tulips, big and blown.

A nice bed of tulips.

And even some violets.

But then! Coming home on a road I rarely drive down, I found to my surprise a house that has gone All In on the tulips (and a few other things). See?

Just wow.

Left

Center

Right

And more to the side.

Well done, neighbors! I feel like writing them a thank-you note.

The Friday Report. It Starts Badly, Ends Well

My work day started inauspiciously today, with an email announcing that the company was putting a policy in place regarding working from home, effective immediately. Which I don't object to, in theory (other than the 'effective immediately' part, but that's typical of how they operate), and I can understand why it might be a good idea for them to have such a policy in writing, especially if they keep buying other companies (not at all a side note: we still haven't heard if there are raises coming from the reviews we had in February; it's May).

However, from the way it was written, the tone was very much "only in these very narrow circumstances and good luck getting an exemption, suckers" and it made it sound as though I would not qualify. Yes, I was hired with that intention, but is it in my contract? Do I have a contract? I have an employment agreement...which does not specify. Was I going to have to fight this?

It was a stressful hour or two, until the editing manager heard back from the person he asked, saying that, no, no, editorial is considered remote and we weren't all suddenly going to have to go into Boston every day. Whew! The stress drop was considerable, but the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.

However, I just visited these guys, which helped.

My neighbor's back tomorrow, and I'm sure they'll be delighted to have her back, but they were fun to spend a little time with, the goofballs.

And now it's Friday night, and I get to spend time with my own goofball.

And it's the weekend. Lunch with a friend tomorrow, and on Sunday, tulips! It's another gray rainy day here, I really, really can't wait to bring that color home again.

One Reason Why

The doctor I saw today is one I haven't gone to for long, but I like her, and here's an example of why. We were talking about my exercising (she was delighted that I had accepted her challenge and found a way to exercise) and how stubborn my body is about things like losing weight, and she proclaimed with sincerity that my body is outstanding at metabolizing food, hanging onto calories in case of need--I forget exactly how she put it, but she made it sound like a good thing even though I'm not so sure! She said that in an emergency, I would be in good position to survive, because of the way my body works.

Which is pretty funny, and may not even be true, but for me to be smiling instead of sulking in that conversation is an achievement of sorts. And I'm trying not to sulk that she'd like my blood test to be fasting, even though I sure do hate fasting. Well, that's not tonight's problem, anyway. Off to go get some dinner.

A Few Short Takes

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'd been meaning to get around to calling for a check-up for, oh, months, and I finally did yesterday. And then the scheduler said, "Well, she's booking now for late October and November," but as I was picking my jaw up off the floor, she went on, "Though she does have a couple of cancellations this week, if you want one of those?" So while it's not urgent, yes, I would rather come in this week than wait six months. Medicine is crazy in so many ways.

And this is where I need to remind myself that, although my company is deeply flawed in many ways, having the kind of flexibility that I can ask this of my boss so close to the day, and it's fine, is a very handy thing.

~~~~~
Although, that said, I have to go in to town next week to see the new office, because they're moving again, just five months after the last move. And if you can make sense of that, it's more than I can.

~~~~~
My current report is on COPD. Which, in Spanish, is apparently EPOC. Doesn't that sound nicer?

It isn't, of course, it's the same thing. But it sounds nicer.

~~~~~
Fortunately, I didn't promise to make a lot of sense tonight. Did I, now?

~~~~~

I put this on Facebook when I saw it last week, but I don't seem to have put it up here:

Before the Bruins all went their separate ways for the summer, at least some of them went on vacation together. (That's Pasta, Krejci, one I don't know by sight, and Bergeron.) Is that not the cutest thing ever?

~~~~~
Well, maybe not quite ever. Himself was bring pretty adorable today, as usual.

I like a cat who throws himself fully into the seriousness of sleeping.

Rock On

Today's weather was disappointing. It was supposed to be the warmest day in the extended forecast, hitting perhaps 71, albeit with clouds and a chance of showers. Instead, it was in the 50s all day, as well as being cloudy and wet. Color me unimpressed. Let us talk of something else.

If you're on Facebook, you've probably seen the thing recently where people are listing ten band names, nine of which they have seen in person, and inviting friends to guess which one is the ringer. I didn't do it at first, because I could only name three bands off the top of my head that I've seen live (each multiple times), and though I knew I had seen more, I was coming up way short of ten. However, I remembered that I had once made a list of concerts I'd been to, and when I dug that out, well, look here!

1. Big Audio Dynamite
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Counting Crows
4. Depeche Mode
5. Live
6. Mike & the Mechanics
7. REM
8. Spin Doctors
9. Sting
10. Wallflowers

What do you think?

To be honest, two of them were in a show together that I might not have gone to without a group of friends who wanted to see them, and one of the others actually opened for another one (but I was sincerely excited to see them, so I decided it counts).

The only question I am left with, since Googling has failed me, is who on earth did I see the Sugarcubes* open for? I'm really sure I didn't go to see them on their own, I can't even name one of their songs, but Google only tells me that they opened for U2, who I have not seen. Yet I have a clear memory of them coming out, and being basically ignored by the crowd, as opening acts so often are, and the lead singer (oh, that was Bjork?) introducing the band by saying, "Hi, we're the Ice Cubes from Sugarland."
*Remember them? From Iceland?

It's so frustrating when Google doesn't give me the answer, sending me back to the pre-Internet days when you just had to try to remember things like that. I once spent weeks, after seeing Mel Gibson's Ransom, trying to figure out where I knew an actress from, the bad guy's girlfriend, what else I had seen her in, before finally piecing together that she was in Say Anything with John Cusack. All I knew was that her voice sounded familiar, and I was picturing her in a room with guitars.

How did we live without it? Yet what can we do when it fails?

Ouch!

And the quote of the day goes to John Sifton. I know, who? Well, this:

via today's Boston Globe

Then and Now

Yesterday the temperature was in the 90s. I wore a sleeveless shirt, capris, sandals. Drove in bare feet, with the windows open. Loved it.

Today was in the 50s. It was sunny in the morning, at least, but then cloudy, and cold rain on and off. I'm wearing sleeves and layers again, Don't love it.

However, when I got home from running errands this afternoon, having been gone almost an hour and a half (the horror), Himself was all needy and I pulled him onto my lap, and he stayed for almost an hour, purring.

So it isn't all bad, is what I'm saying.

More Cats

I fed my neighbor J's cats tonight, as she's out of town. They were so happy to see me that I couldn't really get them to stand still long enough to focus.

One is floofy.

The other is not.

But they are brothers, and although J said that the floofy one is shy, he has been just as friendly to me as his brother, so it's fun to visit with them.

"Yes, keep petting please!"

"Oh, hallo."

I'll get to see them again before she's back, and although Carlos doesn't approve, it's only wrapped up in his disapproval of my ever leaving for any reason. He doesn't care who I smell like when I return. He is secure in his ownership of me.

~~~~~
The weather was very nice today, some sun and in the 80s. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be around 50. Siiigh, New England.

Absence Explained

So where was I last night, when I wasn't here as usual?

Well, I spent a few very enjoyable hours at this:

But I also spent a few not-at-all-enjoyable hours getting there and getting home again. And not to 100% blame my GPS, because I doubt there was a good way to go, at rush hour, but if you can't tell that there's a damned Red Sox game, and going anywhere near Fenway is a piss-poor idea, well, Margaret, I thought better of you.

Though I couldn't have done it without GPS, period. I hate city driving.

Still, it was worth the trouble, even if I will think twice (or three times) before making a similar plan again. I did manage to arrive juuuust in time to rush to the ladies room, and then find a seat*, before it started, and although the seats weren't super comfortable for that long (I stood during most of the intermission, to stretch my butt and hips and back), the production itself was great.
*I'm pretty sure it was sold out, which is kind of neat.

I studied Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in high school, senior year, when Miss Thompson taught it to us alongside Hamlet, bless her. I credit her with making Hamlet my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, despite my not being a fan of tragedy generally, and Ros&Guil appealed to my love of words and wordplay like nothing else. The movie is good, too, I've seen it more than once, but I'm not sure I'd seen the play itself before--surely I would remember!

Although this wasn't the same as going to a live theater performance, it did feel closer to that than to a movie, even in a movie theater. And what both surprised and amused me, as someone who goes to very little theater, is how much of the audience didn't seem nearly as familiar as I am with the play. Intellectually, I know that one needn't have it memorized, or even know the story at all, to see it, but hearing the surprise in the laughter was unexpected to me. And the elderly man in the row in front of me who, at intermission, was telling one of his friends that, you know, they do die at the end... I suppose a spoiler alert on Shakespeare would be silly, eh?

Normal for a Knitter

As I have often noted, I'm sure, I am an emotional eater, reaching for food to make me feel better in down times (I'm working on it). A somewhat more positive response I have also noted is an increased desire to knit: just as I feel that the right food will make me feel better, sometimes it seems the right knitting project would do the same. And let's face it, it's a slightly healthier impulse for me!

When the Bruins were kicked out of the playoffs on Sunday, I spent some time trying to choose a new knitting project, one that would soothe the troubled hockey fan. I didn't come up with one; I wanted something that could be more social knitting than Farfalla currently is, but I couldn't pin anything down.

I tried again today, starting with the premise that I like the non-triangular shape of my Bigger On The Inside shawl, which has proven to wear very well. It isn't the first time I'd tried to fill that bill, but this time I found one that I want to try, at least, and we'll see how it goes. I even had more than one choice of yarn to use, in enough quantity, at the recommended weight: three choices, in fact.

All in blue.

Ahem.

So, I am going to be trying the Tidblad shawl, using the Periwinkle Sheep alpaca-merino blend that I got at Rhinebeck in 2014. Please excuse me as I get out the swift and wind some yarn now.

It's Raining

I think I reach this point at the end of April every year, when it's grey and chilly and rainy and I just can't believe it will ever get better. In this case, it's supposed to be improve in only a few days, if not permanently, but I was cheered much more today by making plans to go tulip-picking again. Now that will bring some color into my days! (And hey, thinking about that cheesecake is pretty cheering, too.)

They're sold out this weekend, but I'm going on May 7, and just about counting the days.

Moving On (hockey edition)

I'm more or less at peace with the Bruins' ouster; as I said before, I'd rather they didn't make the playoffs than make it in and be embarrassed in the first round, but they weren't embarrassed. It was a very close series, and they had a lot of key injuries; really, they acquitted themselves pretty well, for a team that for much of the year was questionable to make the playoffs. And young players like Charlie McAvoy give me hope for the next season.

Before we get there, though, there is (gasp) other hockey stuff to watch and follow. First is the playoffs. I've considered the remaining series (games start Wednesday), and am declaring my allegiances:

• Ottawa versus the Rangers. Obviously I must root against Ottawa, as they knocked the Bruins out, so I am pro-NYR. I may turn these games off early, though, as I am So Over hearing about how fabulous Erik Karlsson is (I mean, he is, but enough already).
• Washington versus Pittsburgh. I really don't like Pittsburgh, and I am hoping that this is the year that Washington finally sheds their recent reputation as a team that rocks the regular season but can't make it in the playoffs, so go Capitals, go Ovi. Get the monkey off your back.
• Nashville versus St. Louis. Normally I'm not big for or against either, but I like how Nashville swept Chicago out in the first round (I don't like Chicago), and I'm also a fan of PK Subban, so go Nashville.
• Anaheim versus Edmonton. I know very little about Anaheim, so I will root for Edmonton and their cadre of young stars, bought with many top drafts picks at the cost of many years of being truly rotten. This may not be their year, but they're on the upturn.

This is pretty relaxing hockey for me to watch. I'll turn it on if I'm home, but don't plan around it. I turn games off and go to bed when I'm tired. I certainly don't stay up for overtime, unless and until it could be the Cup-clincher. Last night I had a game on, but the noise level was a little jarring after a while, so I muted it. Peaceful. I have these preferences, but I don't truly care about any of them, not enough to get tense. It's kind of nice.

And after the Cup is raised, there will be a few things to look forward to:

• The NHL Awards show, which this year will also feature the expansion draft for the new team in Vegas. I am very curious about who they will draft, obviously from the Bruins but also generally; it's been a long time since the league expanded.
• Then there will be the regular draft, and free agency. I can't see the Bruins doing anything too big at either, but you never know.
• After that, it will be time for the Bruins to have their development camp for the future players.
• And then, it's the long desert until rookie camp, and regular camp, in September. At least it will be summer, and I will have nice weather to comfort me.

It's also possible, even likely, that there will be further repercussions to the NHL's decision not to shut down for the 2018 Olympics. Who will go anyway? Which teams will punish players for going, and which won't, and will the NHL put a rule in about that? Will some teams end up calling up half their farm teams for three weeks in February? How many college players will decide not to sign this year, but play another year in college in hopes of making the Olympic team? I just read about a player going to play in the KHL, with the implication that he's doing it so he can go to the Olympics ... depths and possibilities.

It could get interesting. And with about five months to training camp, I'll take what I can get.

Down, and Up

The Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs today, losing (again) in overtime (again). It's a bummer. I'll have to figure out who to root for in the second round; Montreal was also eliminated, last night*, meaning I won't have them to automatically root against, so we'll have to see.
*Not that I'm complaining about that, of course.

Meanwhile, it was time for a kitty visit this afternoon before the game, so at least the day has had that going for it. Remember my friends who have the two ragdolls? (Visiting one cat, the first; visiting one cat, the second; visiting two cats, the first; visiting two cats, the second.) Well, the puffballs are still adorable.

And now I need to leave the paean to the adorableness of cats and go kill Carlos, who is dissatisfied with the freshness of the food in his bowl and Will Not Shut Up About It. There's reality for you.

A Long Report for a Short March

I am exhausted. Sore all over. Ouching with every move.

How did I get here?

Well, let's see. Thursday night I had water aerobics, so afterward, and Friday, I was generally sore, as I usually am. My hands were also having a bad day, which could have been due to the swimming in whole, in part, or not at all, who knows. The joys of arthritis.

Friday night I went to a friend's house to hang with her cats for a bit, as the family is away and she's worried they were lonely. I watched the Bruins' must-win game there, or I guess I should say I watched the part that happened in regulation; when it was going to overtime, I decided that since I was getting pretty tired and would only get more so, I should drive home while I was at least that alert. I caught the start of OT in the car, and then went inside for the rest of the first overtime period and into the second. There was a lot of drama, and I was highly stressed.

But finally, just before midnight, the Bruins scored! (Rational game recap here; emotional one here.) I was so happy for rookie Sean Kuraly, who tied the game with his first NHL goal, then got the game-winner in 2OT. He was leaping into the air, it was very cute. The whole thing was very exciting, but so exhausting to watch. I tumbled into bed just after midnight, feeling like I'd been beaten with a stick.

I slept pretty solidly, but got up (at 10!) still feeling surprisingly sore, and generally achy and tired. In hindsight, I should have thought twice about going in to the Science March, but I really wanted to go, and it wasn't until 2, plus it was actually a rally and not a march, so I thought I would give it a try, and gave myself permission to leave when I needed to.

Which didn't take long. I got there just about 2, when the crowds were already large but the speakers were just getting started.

You can see that the ground is wet; yesterday, the forecast for today just said it would be "overcast," but that turned out to mean drizzling and chilly and truly unpleasant. Stupid April in New England.

Anyway. I listened to some speaking, but my back and legs were getting painful with the standing, so I tried walking around, and that wasn't any better, and in short order I was in enough pain that I was walking back to the T. Disappointing, but when I was trying not to groan out loud at the pain of sitting down once the train came, I knew it was the right thing to do. It was a good, if painful, lesson in Listen To Your Body, and maybe next time I will get the message before I overspend my spoons.

There were lots of great signs there, and I got pictures of a few of them.

This one on the left I tried a few times to get. Cut off the top.

And cut off different parts. A for effort?

And a clever way to carry a sign.

My arms were too tired to hold my sign up much, but I made a small, two-sided one.

And the shirt I wore (which no one could see under my coat, but anyway):

I remember giving blood in college, back when the Red Cross would take my blood (yes, I am still bitter that they won't now), and they would offer us little stickers that said, "Be nice to me, I gave blood today." There were also stickers that said, "Be nice to me, I tried," which I always thought were rather sad. But today, I think I earned that much. I tried. I'm okay with that.